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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. lean — thin
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. toast — bread
  6. rash — a series
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bore — to tire
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. lean — to bend
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bore — to drill
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — a list

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com